henderson



(No Model.)

3 She'etsSheet J. O. HENDERSON. MARINE ELECTRIC MESSENGER.

3 Sheets-Sheet a.

N O S R E D N E H C In MARINEELEQTRIQ MESSENGER. No. 293,735. PatentedFeb. 19,1884.

through the cable or cables.

j -UNITE'D STATES JOHN G. HENDERSON,

PATENT OFFICE.

on New YORK, Y.

MARINE ELECTRIC MESSENGER.-

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters. Patent No. 293,735, datedFebruary 19, 1884. Application filed May 21 1383. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J QHN'O'. HENDERSON, of the city, county, andStateof New York, have invented'a new and useful Improvement in MarineElectric Messengers, of which the following is afull, clear, andexact-description.

The object of my invention is, first, to prevent collisions betweenvessels at sea; second, to take off or put ou board of vessels atsealines, passengers, stores, 8m; third, to provide means for towingsailing-yessels or disabled steainships; and, fourth, to-provide, incase of a wreck, for sending lines, &c., on shore or from the shore tothe vessel, in place of using a rocket apparatus.

To these ends I make use of 'a pilot vessel or messenger provided forits propulsion with an electric motor, and connected by a cable with asteamship or other vessel, that is provided with one or moredynamo-electric machines for operating the electric motor von the pilotvessel, their conductors passing The pilot-vessel is also provided withelectric steering appa-' ratus operated and controlled from the ship,and also with an electric lightand with a sig naling horn or whistle,all as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthisspecification, in which similar letters of reference. indicatecorresponding parts in allthe figures.

Figure l is a sectional elevation of the pilot vessel or messenger, andof the steamship or vessel from which it is operated. Fig. 2 is a 'planview, in larger size, of a portion, of the pilot-vessel, showing thepropelling and steera ing mechanism. Fig. 3 is a cross-section ofelectric conductors.

' ing-vessel, and B is" the pilot vessel or mes senger, whichis ofcomparatively small size, and is decked over, sothat the mechanism isentirely inclosed. f

On the vessel A is a dynamo-electric machine, C, connected to astorage-battery, D,

from which the wires pass to the cable a. The cable passes from awinding-drum, I), over suitable guide-rollers, 1) b and through a port,I), at the stern of the vessel.

On-the cable ;a between the two rollers b b is a weight, 0, inconnection'wit-hwhich there is a gage for indicating the strain ortension of the cable.-

As shown in Figs 4 and 5, the windlass b has a hollow shaft, into whichthe end of the cable a enters, and the end of the shaft is provided witha series of rings, d, towhich the severalconductors or wires of thecable are connected, and upon the fIfLlllQQf the Windlass I are a seriesof brushes, (1, which bear upon the rings'd. The wires from the batteryD are connected with ,the brushes (1, so that the elecin Fig; 3, isprovided with four large conductors, two of which are for the circuit tothe elcctromotor on the vessel 13, and the other two for theelectric-light apparatus. It also has four smaller conductors or singlewiresfor operating and controlling the steering mechanism. l I

Upon'the vessel B the conductors of the cable are connected to adistributing-box, d from which the several wires pass to the electriclamp E, the electromotorF, and to the slide thereon, and to their hubsare connected the forked ends of a lever, h, by which either These twowheelsone of the wheels may be brought in contact'with the wheel f.

-Above the shaft and geared thereto, are winding-drums h, from whichropes h pass to a drum, 9 and on the shaft of the drum 9* is a pinionthat gears with a cogged segment, 2', attached on the steering-post i.

IOO

The two magnet s G G are of the axial type, i

" and have a common polarized armature, K,

which is connected to the lever h, so that by the movement of thearmature in one direction or the other as the magnets are ener -gizedone of the wheels 9' is brought in con tact vwith the wheel f and itsshaft 9, and the drum h being thus rotated,'the rudder is turned eitherto the right or to the left.

H H are axial magnets connected in the circuit with the magnets G,and-have their armatnres connected to cams k, that are 1 placedcontiguous to the drums h, so as to bear thereon when the armatures iare moved.

outward, and thus hold the drums by "friction,

lamps, which are conn'cted'by wires to the distributing-box d. Thesignaling-hornK is operated by an airepump, a, which is connected to thepropeller-shaft f, so as to insure a continual blast or signal while theropeller isin motion. The circuit-wiresn,w ichpass to the magnets G H,are connected to a transmitter placed on the vessel'A, as shown inlarger size at L in Fig. 2. This transmitter is provided with :areversing switch arm, n, arranged for being moved to transmit a currentof either polarity, and for breaking. the circuit, so that the armaturek of the two'inag}.

"nets G G may be caused to move infeither direction for operation of therudder, or left free to assume the middle position by means of thesprings n, that are connected, to its ends.

, Upon the vessel A there is alsoacircuit-closer for controlling thecircuit of the electric motor F. Each magnet a of the indicating apparatus I is connected by wires t, that pass through the cable, to one ofthe points Z on the vessel B, and the circuit to each magnet I thatcontains a series of concentric rings, 0,

of insulating material, projecting from a fixed is completed by wiresthat pass from the ma nets down into the water, and by a wire, t,

that passes from the inductive apparatus on the vessel B to the water,so that only two wires are needed in the cable a in connectionwiththeindicator. The coupling device of the cable is shown in Figs. 6and 71 The end of the cable is fitted with a socket-Piece, 0,

base-plate, p,'and.the plate 1) is provided t ial metallic plates p, towhich the wires or con: ductors of the cable a are connected.

Around. and between therings o are spiral springs q, resting upon theplates 10, and between the rings 0 there are fitted tubes q,that rest.upon the springs q, these tubes g being loose, so that they may slide inand out.

The circuit is through the tubes (1', springs q,

and plates 12. o

In using the pilot or messenger, after it is put in the water withthecable properly connected, the circuit is to be closed for operating theelectromotor F, so as to propel the pilot,

and-at the same time the steering mechanism is controlled by using theswitch L, and in this manner the vessel may be sent and guided inany'direction from a vessel to. the shore, or from the shore to avessel, or between two vessels for the purpose of carrying lines,stores, or passengers. At night the circuit to the electric lamp will beclosed, so that the position of the vessel can readily be seen, and

the horn being at the same time sounded, at-

'tention'will be drawn to the pilot fronithose with whom it is desiredto communicate.

This pilot or messenger can be operated in v a seaway, or when it wouldnot be safe or practicable to use ordinary boats, or in locations wherethere are no rocket-stations for communication from the shore to astranded vessel. I

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent-- 7,

1. The combination, with the drums h h,

of the caustic, bearing against said drums, the

armaturei, operating said cams, the spiral "springs i, and the axialmagnets H in circuit with the magnets G, as and for the purposespecified. I

2. The combination of the shaft f, frictionwheels f shafts g g, drums h,ropes h,

.magnets G G, the armature k, and the lever h,

substantially as described, for efi'ecting the operation by electricityof the rudder of the pilot-vessel.

3. The combination of the electric cable a,

lOO

Windlass b, having ahollow shaft, rings d, and

brushes d, substantially as described, for 'allowing the winding andunwinding of the cable upon 'or from the windlass without brealcing theelectrical connection.

. JOHN C. HENDERSON.

- Witnesses:

EDGAR TATE,

' EDWARD ISL-CLARK.

